Controlware Increases Security for U.K. College

IP CCTV specialist Controlware supplied a surveillance solution that helps reduce the threat of crime and improves safety for staff, students and visitors to the college whilst saving costs.

Warrington Collegiate offers a wide variety of academic, vocational and business courses for more than 7,000 students. In 2008, the US$40.22 million re-development of the Winwick Road campus provided the opportunity to upgrade the IT infrastructure with a converged Next Generation Network from ntl:Telewest Business. To help reduce the threat of crime and provide a safe environment for staff, students and visitors ntl:Telewest Business recommended an advanced IP CCTV surveillance solution from partners Controlware.

Nick Smeltzer, Deputy Director of Information & IT is more than impressed with the solution delivered by ntl:Telewest Business and Controlware, said, “ I am impressed with the professionalism, dedication and technical competence of the ntl:Telewest Business and Controlware teams who have delivered the college more than we anticipated at the outset of this project”

Based on Controlware's Cware management platform the advanced solution also includes video transmission and recording for 50 cameras across campus. Cware enables college operators to view and control any camera as well as transmit video to CCTV monitors, initiate high-resolution on-demand recordings and manage all alarms. Operators are also able to easily search recorded video to review and bookmark key events. For evidential purposes watermarked video can be exported from the system to an external source such as a CD, DVD or external hard drive.

"The IP CCTV system is flexible, easy to use and delivers exceptional image quality. With the necessary permissions CCTV can be monitored from multiple locations both on and off campus. The system can also easily be extended by adding new cameras or storage hardware because Cware is an open management platform, this means we are not tied into a single video manufacturer” Smeltzer said.

The college benefits from a flexible system that provides access to high quality video images that help make identification of suspects easier. Incidents of vandalism and theft have decreased saving the college thousands of pounds while further costs are saved because the system can be maintained in house by the college's IT department. One unanticipated benefit was the cost savings that came from using PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology which required fewer cables to be run to cameras than traditional cabling. The network is also protected against power failure by UPS's (Uninterruptable Power Supplies) that deliver increased resilience over analog or hybrid based systems where each camera would rely on its own power supply.

"Warrington Collegiate benefit from a cost-effective, feature rich solution that is primed to support future expansion of cameras and recording requirements. Cware guarantees high quality surveillance and the solution is fully future proofed to provide long term protection for the college,” said Mark Harraway, Country Manager for Controlware UK.